1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to personal care compositions. More specifically, the present invention relates to personal care compositions that use hydroxyalkylurea for providing improved moisturization efficacy. In another aspect, the present invention relates to personal care compositions that use hydroxyalkylurea in combination with other moisturizing agents in a synergistically moisturizing effective ratio, thereby providing increased moisturization efficacy.
2. Background Information
A significant segment of the global population uses products to moisturize their skin and hair, and such segment continues to grow at a substantial rate. Unfortunately, many of these products do not actually moisturize. Instead, they simply give the appearance of moisturization by reducing fine lines and/or flaking and adding shine. When trying to provide or increase moisturizing efficacy, many of the moisturizing products currently on the market also leave a heavy, greasy feel that consumers find undesirable.
The use of hydroxyalkylurea in personal care compositions is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,549 discloses compositions that utilize hydroxyalkylurea crosslinking agents on natural or synthetic substrates or in the preparation of coatings. Hydroxyalkylureas are also used in thermosetting binders (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,388), in personal care products and detergent compositions (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,076 and German Patent No. 27 03 185). However, none of these patents disclose the use of hydroxyalkylurea either alone or in combination with other moisturizing agents to increase the moisturizing efficacy of personal care compositions.
Accordingly, there is a need for personal care compositions with improved moisturizing efficacy.